After some reflection, I have concluded that people care about who the pope is and what he says (even though they may not agree with him) because most people, whether they acknowledge it to themselves or not, view Roman Catholicism as the singularly authentic religion on this planet.
A valedictory for Pope Francis
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He said in 2016 of then-candidate Donald Trump that anyone building a wall to keep migrants out “is not a Christian.”
Pope Francis reached out to migrants and the LGBTQ+ community, but drew unusual opposition also
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